You Said You Loved Me
by MissAmore
Summary: Forgetting him was like describing how water tastes; impossible. Niley.
1. Start To Forget

**A/N:** Niley, Niley, more NILEY. What could be better? This fic is very angsty (at least I think so) so be sure that you're ready for it! ;) Reviews will make me smile.

"**You Said You Loved Me"  
**- A Niley fic, chapter one ; "Start To Forget"

I sighed as my eyes bore into his. Here I was, staring at the one guy who hurt me the most. The one guy who had left me for another girl. Was I not good enough? What was so great about _her _that wasn't so great about me? So my eyes were blue, and hers were brown. I was a brunette, and her hair was a close complection to a raven's feathers. I was bubbly, cheery, somewhat talented, and she was - serious? Whatever he liked about her, I couldn't figure out. I stared at him and stared at him... but it was only a picture. And his picture was worth a lot more than a thousand words.

I found my hands gripping his picture tighter and tighter. And before I knew it, he was ripped in half. Just like my heart. We had been so good together. We'd made each other smile, laugh, and cry. We'd kissed, caressed, and gazed into each others eyes. Now everytime we came across each other, it'd be a quick glance or a secret stare. No more laughs or smiles. Just crying. And blinking, and averted eyes. We couldn't bare to remind ourselves of what we'd gone through. Our breakup had been so painful - so _emotional._ We just couldn't deal. I had cried a lot that night. Screamed a little, too. But only because I lost the one I loved the most; Nick...

"Miley, you okay?"

My room door squeaked open, and I quickly stashed away my torn picture. "Huh?" I asked, snapping back into reality. My mom eyed me quizzicaly as she stepped inside my property. She slowly closed the door behind her, and sat beside me on my bed. I clenched my fists inside my lavender sheets and stared at the black carpeting.

"Are you okay?" she repeated, snaking her arm around my shoulder, rubbing it slightly, trying to ease my comfort. "You've been kind of quiet lately, and that is _not _you." I tried my best to smile, but all that came out was a shaky sigh.

"Yeah," I lied, doing my best not to look her in the eyes. "I just miss Tennessee, I guess." _And him._

"We were down there last week," she replied, moving a strand of my thick, wavy brown hair away from my eyes. "You got to see your Mammie, and everything." I sighed once more, and got up, walking over to my dresser.

"Yeah, but...," I sucked my teeth. "A week goes by fast, you know. And being here in LA... reminds me of -" Realization of what I was about to say knocked me upside the head. I kept my head down, and cursed myself for having a mirror in front of me. My mom must of saw my expression.

"Reminds you of what, honey?" Something changed in her voice. Like she knew what I was about to say, and she wanted me to proceed.

"Stuff," I said, fingering the wood of the dresser. "Stuff... that's private. I know you love to see me happy, but right now, I just wanna be alone. Okay?" I turned to her, and showed her how serious I was. Her face softened and she let out a deep breath. She rised from my bed, and stood on her feet, walking up to the door. She turned to me, and I swore I saw her eyes water.

"Okay," she said, finally. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She was already gone. I rested my elbow on the dresser and closed my eyes. Great. Because of my heartbreak, I was straying away from my own family. Everyone had been trying to make me smile, and all I'd done was push them away. Now I was doing it to my own mother. The one person who I wanted to make me happy was already happy with some other girl. I dipped my hand into my shirt, and carefully grasped the silver plate of the dogtag that my former love had given me. He told me to keep it forever, to remember him by...

... I was afraid it was time to start forgetting about him.

**A/N:** Yeah, it's short, sorry. :( But I just wanted to see how you guys are liking it. Please review. :)


	2. Boy Next Door

**A/N: **Thanks for your reviews, guys! :) And for those asking, this is a full story.... Not a one-shot. [; Hope you enjoy.

"**You Said You Loved Me"**

- A Niley fic, chapter two ; "Boy Next Door"

The sound of honking vans caught my attention as I stared outside my window sill on a bright Saturday morning. I watched with confusement as loads and loads of UPS trucks drove slowly past my house. UPS trucks only meant one thing in this state. Either someone was moving, or someone was moving in. I turned to my mother, who was humming to herself in the kitchen, making herself a cup of coffee.

"Who's moving?" I asked her, opening the shades so I could see better.

"You mean who's getting kicked out?" she corrected, taking a sip of her daily latte. "The Petersons. They got evicted late last night. I would've woken you up but, you looked like you needed some rest." I nodded in agreement. I actually hadn't been sleeping that well at all. I'd either be woken from stress, or dreams - _nightmares _about my ex and his current girlfriend.

"They didn't pay their bills again?" I asked, my voice disappointed. The Petersons were nice, caring people. They even had a son who was my age. And personally, I thought he was cute. If it wasn't for my feelings for Nick, I would've jumped at the chance to get to know him. He had a girlfriend anyways - but that's beside the point.

"They were good people, but unfortunately, they didn't pay their dues. I think they were deep in debt," she answered, placing her mug on the kitchen table. "You hungry? I made you eggs, scrambled - your favorite."

"Uhm, actually, mom, I'm good. I'll grab a donut or something on my way to the studio." I grabbed my leather jacket off he back of the chair near the table, and made my way out the door. "I'll see you later." I could hear her sigh before I slammed the door. I really didn't want her to feel the way she was, but, business was business. Once the door was locked, I made my way down the steps, and onto my front lawn. The trucks were everywhere. There wasn't any way to get out.

I checked my watch and blew out a deep breath. "Just great." I was already ten minutes late, and with the whole truck jam, I had better luck just staying home. My eyes sweeped across the trucks. I could see the Petersons already packed up into their mini van. I sure was going to miss them. As soon as I was going to ask one of the truck drivers to move one of their trucks, a steep black car pulled up, and out came six people. Must've been the ones moving.

"I can't wait to see this," I muttered to myself, clutching my iPhone in one hand. The car door slammed, and the movers were blocking my sight of the new family. They were carrying sofas, matresses, even a fridge was viewable.

"Nick, can you carry this in for me?" My heart stopped. Did I just hear the name "Nick"? Or was I hallucinating yet again? I felt that nerve again. My hands were already getting clammy, and I could hear my breaths becoming irratic. Next thing I knew, there he was. Nick. Baseball cap pulled over his curls. Well, most of his curls were gone. He'd gotten his hair trimmed a little. He looked much more bulkier. I guess he was getting healthier. Still had on those favorite old Levis of his. He was carrying some type of kitchen appliance. His face was still gorgeous, even from afar. And his gray, graphic tee hugged his chest perfectly.

I wanted to scream, yell, whisper his name. Something for him to notice me. But my throat was already closing, and I was beginning to become very light headed. I spotted his three other brothers following with items of their own. Then his parents walked by and I knew it was official. _Nick _was going to be my next door neighbor. Which meant if he ever brought his little spouse over, I'd see her. I almost retched.

There was no possible way he was going to pass without noticing me, no way. But as soon as I expected him to look at me, he didn't. He just stepped right into the house that once didn't belong to him, and went in without a care in the world. My heart sunk.

"He didn't even... notice me," I whispered. Now I really wish there was a way to get out. There had to be. I walked slowly over the rest of my lawn, peeking and searching for some way out. Nothing. "Dammit."

"Miley, is that you?!"

And before I could even speak, Nick's older brother was running towards me.

**A/N: **Review, please. :)


	3. Can't You Tell That I Can't Breathe?

**A/N: **Wow. I've got 22 reviews thanks to you guys! :) So I see I have some questions to answer. No problem. Miley and Nick are both 16 years old in this story. I was thinking about them being famous but, nah. Oh, and she's not in Tennessee, she just made up an excuse that she misses it. She's in LA. [; I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll try to make it longer than the last. The _italics _is a flashback btw. Kisses! xo

"**You Said You Loved Me"**

- A Niley fic, chapter three, "Can't You Tell I Can't Breathe?"

"_Nick! Nick, put me down!" I laughed. He just chuckled and pulled me up higher on his back. I was going to kill him. He knew I didn't like piggybacks. Especially his. He just loved to see me scared, yet excited at the same time. He ran faster this time, and I screamed even louder. I couldn't see where we were going because I was too afraid to open my eyes. But as soon as I did, they widened. He was headed straight for his family's gigantic pool._

"_No!" I yelled, my voice raspy. He was not getting my favorite outfit wet. "Come on, Nick, I just did my hair!" I couldn't help but laugh, though. He was such a kid at heart, like me. He laughed with me, and then put me down. I gave my lungs a punch, so that they would help me regain my breathing. Nick backed up a little and then before I knew it, he'd backflipped himself into the pool, splashing chlorine water all over me. So much for my favorite outfit, and my hair, I thought._

"_I am so getting you back for that," I said, throwing my arms at my sides, and wiping the water from my face. His head popped up from under the water and he had an amused look on his face, one eyebrow was cocked._

"_Oh yeah?" he teased. "And how are you possibly going to do that Miss Stewart? I'm all the way in here, and you're _all _the way over there."_

"_Not for long," I mumbled. And before my brain could actually muster what I was doing, I'd dived straight into the water, ready to make Nick my prey. As soon as my head arose from the surface, I felt my head being quickly pulled forward, and a pair of soft,wet lips on mine. I sunk into the kiss. There was no way I could help it. He was probably trying to weaken me so that I wouldn't get my revenge. Oh boy, it was working. We kissed deeply, slowly at first. He'd once again hypnotized me with another one of his passionate kisses. I pulled back first._

"_What was that for?" I asked, gauging his reaction. _

"_I love you," he replied. And when he smiled, I knew it was true._

"_I love you, too."_

"It is you!" Joe wrapped his arms around me like he hadn't seen me in over eight years. I stiffened at first, but then I hugged him back. This was the closest to being with Nick that I actually got. He held me tightly for a while without saying anything before he pulled back. "I can't believe this."

"Heh. Can't believe what?" I asked, hoping to God that he wouldn't say his answer.

"That we're living next to you."

"Neither can I," I said, diguising my bitter tone with a more cheery one, if you can imagine. How was I supposed to believe this? Nick was living no more than 5 feet away from me now. My ex, who had broken my heart was now my neighbor. "So why did you guys, you know, move?" I didn't want to sound nosey, but I was curious. I found it ironic that as soon as the Petersons moved out, _they _moved in.

"Oh, well... it's kind of hard to explain," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. That was the same thing Nick did when he was nervous or embarrassed. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, and promted him with my eyes, telling him to go on.

"I'll be here for a while," I said. "These trucks aren't going anywhere any time soon."

"Yeah.... Look Miley -"

"Joe! What are you doing? You can meet the neighbors tomorrow! For now, help please?" I looked down. I knew that voice. I knew exactly who said it. If Nick didn't want to talk to me, why was he trying to get Joe away from me? I put my hand on Joe's shoulder, stopping him from turning.

"Don't listen to him, just tell me what you were gonna say," I insisted. Joe sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"No, he's right. We can talk tomorrow or whatever." I shook my head in disappointment as I watched him walk away. Nick's bitter attitude must've been rubbing off on him. Great. And now, we'd have to meet them. What was I supposed to say to these people? They already knew me. My mom never knew about me and Nick dating, but she did know we were close friends. Now I'd be forced to tell her why I couldn't meet them.

_That should be fun._

**A/N: **I was going to add the part where Nick's family and Miley's family meet up with each other. But I'll make that a new chapter. ;] Tease, much?


	4. Tell Me How You Really Feel

**A/N: **Woohoo! 31 reviews! I'm on cloud Niley now, lol. So glad you guys liked chapter 3. And don't worry, Nick won't be an asshole. That wouldn't be very Nick, would it? A couple of things will be happening in this chapter so, get ready. [;

"**You Said You Loved Me"  
**- A Niley fic, chapter four ; "Tell Me How You Really Feel"

The next day came faster than I'd expected. Who knew time flew while you were in misery? Not me. I didn't sleep well at all. Again. I'd been up thinking of excuses of not talking to our new neighbors. I ran down the stairs, anticipating my mom waiting downstairs. My mom was sitting at the kitchen table, reading one of her lousy parenting books. She'd started reading them ever since she got the idea that I'd become "distant" or whatever. I crept slowly, hoping she wouldn't notice me. But once I took two steps, her head was already turned.

"Miley, can you go get the paper?" she asked, flipping through the book. She was skimming and I could tell she was getting weary. She had bags under her eyes, and her hair was a mess. She just had on an overly large t-shirt and crown patterned pajama pants. I sighed and prepared to act moody.

"Mom, I don't feel like getting the paper today," I said. "And besides, when did you start reading the paper?"

"Ever since these books said that reading is one of the things that keeps the mind going," she explained. "Now stop being a brat, and just get the newspaper for me, please." I made a face in protest, but the stern look on her face defeated it. I could either stand here and get _the stare _all day, or I could go get the paper and make her less grumpy. I groaned and headed out the front door, squinting my eyes once the sunlight hit me. I yawned and bent down to retrieve the daily newspaper. And as soon as I did, I heard a door slam. I looked up, and my breath caught. Nick.

I wasn't sure if he saw me at first or not, but when he did, he paused as well. His expression looked as if he'd just seen someone murder his mother. His mouth was slightly parted, as was mine, and just like all those other times, we just stared. We were about five feet away from each other, but with all the tension, it felt like we were stuck together. He looked so good. His dark curls looked extra soft. What I would give just to run my hands through them again. His white wife beater hugged his chest, and by the look of his biceps, he'd been working extra hard. He was only sixteen, but he had the maturity of an adult - one of the qualities that I loved about him.

He was silent, I was silent. But our actions spoke louder than words...

_**Nick's POV ;**_

I couldn't believe my eyes. There she was. I hadn't seen her in months, and the sight of her before my very eyes lifted my heart. Then it sunk again. I had a girlfriend, and there was no doubt in my mind that she had one, as well. I sighed and held my breath. She was still as beautiful, no, _gorgeous_ as I remembered. Same thick, wavy brown hair. Same deep, ocean blue eyes. Same perfectly toned skin. She was still the same Miley I had fell in love with... and the one who had fell out of love with me. What was I thinking, breaking up with her for another girl? I had said some things to her on the night of our breakup that I wish I could take back. I wished I could take back the tears she had shed on the cold, soaked pavement in her backyard. I wish I could take back the pain and suffering that I had caused her... and I wished I could take back the words, "I'm in love with someone else."

But I couldn't. I had to move on, I had to forget about her. But with all the sadness that she was covering up, I knew I couldn't. She was my life. She was the girl I'd risk my life for. I was her Romeo, and she was my Juliet. She meant the world to me, and I'd let her go. All because I let some other girl talk me out of it. I was so stupid. So decietful. I didn't even want to think about what she thought of me. She hated me. She could never love a guy who had dumped her for someone else. It was impossible.

Suddenly, the door behind me swung open, and I turned around to be faced with my older brother, Joe.

"Mom says you need to eat breakfast," he said, eyeing me suspiciously. "What's the matter with you?" I cleared my throat and sighed.

"Nothing, nothing," I mumbled, proceeding to go inside, until he stopped me, blocking the door way.

"You talk to our new neighbors yet?" he asked, his voice sounding a little more excited than intended. I shook my head, no. I hadn't spoken to Miley ever since our breakup. And even if I tried, she wouldn't take my calls, or she'd ignore me. Like I really needed to be stressed out more. Diabetes was already bugging me. I had to balance out my sugar level, and my broken heart. Nothing was going right for me.

"Well, why not?" Joe asked, a teasing smirk plastered on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him. I was not in the mood for games. As if reading my mind, he then said, "What's wrong? Don't feel like breaking hearts today?"

"Joe, really, stop. Before I hurt you." He held his hands up in defense and his expression softened.

"Look, I know you're still... getting over your breakup, but dude, you have a girlfriend now. I thought you moved on," he said.

"I'm working on it," I said. "It's not going so well for me."

"But I thought you _loved _Julianna," he said, refferring to my current "girlfriend".

"I thought I did, but -" when I turned in anticipation, hoping Miley was still there, she was gone. I hung my head a little and pushed my way past Joe, entering my not so complete house. I rested my head against the wall, and rubbed my temples. If this was karma, it definitely was biting me right on the ass.

**A/N: **Short, yes. But at least we got to see Nick! :) REVIEW.


	5. Stop and Stare

**A/N: **I'm a great updater, I know. ;] I love you guys for reviewing. I have no clue exactly what is going to happen in this chapter, but... we'll see, haha. REVIEW!

**"You Said You Loved Me"  
**- A Niley fic, chapter five ; "Stop and Stare"

It was storming. The once sunny california day had turned into a rainy, cloudy night, and I was alone outside, embracing it. As I sat on my porch steps, I kept my eyes focused on the clouds. That was what I felt like. A cloud. Nothing but a puff in the sky that sometimes had good days, and sometimes had bad days. Like when I was still with Nick, it was _always _sunny. I'd never shed a tear, (maybe tears of joy) and the sun always shined, keeping the clouds happy. But on the night we broke up, it was storming, and thunder was striking the clouds. Only the clouds were my heart, and my heart was being struck by Nick. And now the clouds were letting down thick droplets of rain, and I couldn't help but feel my eyes swell with water of its own.

I wiped them away, furiously with the back of my leather jacket's sleeve. I ignored the tinge of pain it left, and continued to focus on the sky. I hated this. I hated how Nick was still having this effect on me. He was ruining everything. Sure, it was just a breakup, but what some have to get is that he was the world to me. He was my strength when I was weak. He was my voice when I couldn't speak. He was my eyes when I couldn't see. He saw everything, and believed that I was his everything. He was like the good father, that'd lift up his child when his son or daughter couldn't reach something at the supermarket. He was everything I had ever wanted and everything I had ever loved.

But apparently, his love for me wasn't requaited. And it made me feel awful, you know? It's like, how terrible can a person feel when they know that who they're madly in love with is in love with someone else? I'll tell you, it's definitely terrible. But I have to be grateful and supportive. I have to know that at least his girlfriend has a great guy who I know she'll love. I'll just have to get over the fact that he won't be loving me anytime soon. But when he had looked at each other the other day, I felt something. Like a spark, a connection. Something clicked, like when we first had fell in love. I needed to know how he felt. I needed him to know that even though he hurt me, I still loved and cared for him.

I blew out a shaky breath, and before I knew it, the small shed of tears were overflowing. I was crying. I was bawling. And it felt like I'd be crying for eternity. I thanked God that my mom was still at work. I definitely couldn't let her see me when I broke down. Never. She'd take me to counsels, and try to be "supportive" when all the "supporters" truly do is add more pain. It just proves that when ever they saw, "It's ok." or, "You'll get over it." proves that it's actually real. And that if I don't get over it, my life will never be the same again. Suddenly, a door slowly creeking open close by closed as soon as I turned my head. My sobs were welling up now, and I was just about ready to head back inside, and soak my tears away in a hot bubble bath. But as soon as I got up, a very soft, sweet sounding, utterly and breath-takingly familiar voice stopped me dead in my tracks.

"Miley."

I was so nervous, so afraid to turn my head. I didn't want to, but this was the first time, in several months that I'd ever heard his voice. When I turned around, I made sure to have an emotionless look on my face, although by the look of his face, it was psychically impossible.

"Nick," I said. He looked at me sadly for a second, fresh raindrops soaking his delicate curls. "What... what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you," he said, his face serious. An unsure look disguised me. Why wasn't I yelling at him? Why wasn't I kicking his ass right now? Why was I actually giving him the pleasure of _talking _to me? I looked him up and down and I noticed the awareness in his eyes.

"I... I don't know," I said, my voice highly low.

"Please?" he said, his eyes pleading. Why was he here? Why was he standing in front of me, on my property? "It won't take long, I promise." I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. My eyes flashed back and forth across the street, and I sighed.

"My mom's going to be home soon, so let's just talk here."

"That's fine with me," he said. "Look... Miley... I ... don't know where to begin." He looked down, hung his head, and closed his eyes. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he was going through exactly what I was going through. The sighs, the closed eyes, the _**standing out in the rain.**_

"Well, what exactly did you want to talk to me about?" I asked, my voice bitchier than I intended.

"Us," he finally said, still keeping his eyes firmly planted anywhere but on me. "I just... _**need to know if it's over.**_" My heart jumped. What did that mean? He couldn't possibly think that we were still an item. We'd gone through friendship, best friendship, unsure friendship, and then, lovers. And he'd screwed that all up by... you know.

"What do you mean?" I heard myself say. He finally lifted his head and locked his eyes with mines.

"I mean..." he trailed off, searching for the right words. "What are we to each other? Friends? Aquanintaces? Just tell me if you never wanna speak to me again, Miley, _**'cause I will leave you alone.**_"

I licked my dry lips, and bit my tongue. We were... I didn't know. I had no clue what we were to each other. As far as normal labels went, I'd say we were nothing more than ex's. Maybe that was how it was supposed to be. But who knew? Fate surprised us when we least expected it, and it can do it again. I was the one to look down next, and as soon as I did, Nick's finger gently tilted it back up. My skin sizzled. This wasn't happening.

"Tell me," he whispered. His shadow was over taking me, I could feel his warm, sweet breath on my face. I could feel his hands slightly cupping my face. His hands were so warm in the cold, damp weather. Even when he was soaking wet, he was perfect. I could feel him leaning in, I could practically feel his lips on mine...

...until the loud, blaring honk of a car horn blazed and practically broke my eardrum. Both me and Nick winced, and we were pulled out of our heated moment. He turned around, and sighed, looking back at me.

"That's Joe," he said disappointedly. "Look, I have to go... but... I'll... see you around." I was still a little shaken for our almost kiss, which was interrupted, but I managed to speak.

"Yeah, see you around." Before I turned to head back inside, I couldn't help but notice a strange, almost angry look on Joe's face. I didn't acknowledge it, and instead, rested my head against my front door. What had I just done? Or... almost done? I almost kissed my ex, who had tore my heart, who had a girlfriend! And in my book, that was crossing the line. Hopefully I'd be over it by morning.

**A/N: **Hope you LOVED it! Did you guys notice the words like _**this**_? Well wasn't it kind of cute how I used the BTS lyrics in their dialouge? :) Please review!


	6. Sometimes Words Can Make All The Noise

**A/N: **Glad you all liked Niley's interaction. ;) I have no clue what's happening in this chapter, so read along with me, lol. REVIEW.

**"You Said You Loved Me"  
**- A Niley fic, chapter six ; "Sometimes Words Can Make All The Noise"

The next day wasn't so great after all. I hadn't gotten over the kiss Nick and I had _almost _shared. My skin still ached in the same spot he'd brushed his bare fingertips against. I needed him. I needed him now more than ever, and I knew somewhere, somewhere in his heart, he needed me too. It was no denying that sparks flew when we had our first conversation the other day. But then again, what was I thinking? He was taken.

"Maybe I should give up," I heard myself say. My brain was making me say one thing, but my heart was just telling me to let him back into my life. But... how? Sure, he was my neighbor, but he had someone who he could hug and kiss freely. He had someone to hold. Someone who wasn't me. And it tore me in half knowing how much he was happy with his girl, and I was just the girl with the broken heart, still getting over it. Maybe that was a good reason to give up entirely. I shook it off, and decided that thinking about him wasn't going to get him to love me again. I sighed and pushed myself off the carpeted stairs, and made my way down them. I opened my front door and just stood there for a second, eyeing the kids playing in the street, couples riding their bicycles, just like me and Nick use to.

I put a strand of my hair behind my ear and sat down on the porch, keeping my eyes focused on the street. Maybe if I concentrated on _them, _then I wouldn't be so tempted to look over at Nick's very own porch, even though I was. I kept my eyes on the couple with the bikes. They were much older than Nick and I, but does love really have an age limit? They were in love, I could tell. Just by the plain old smile on the girl's face. Just like I had been on that one, special day...

_"See? I told you I could keep up."_

_"Yeah, only 'cause I'm riding at _your _speed," I teased, as I rode my bike down the empty streets of Los Angeles. I loved riding in the daytime, but riding at night seemed much more...romantic. The moon was just the right mixture of midnight blue and snow white. The clouds had slowly started seperating, allowing the dark sky to become more clear. I couldn't help but admire the glistening stars that followed, either. Everything was so peaceful at night._

__

"It's so quiet out here," Nick said, breaking the silence. "I like it."

_"Yeah," I agreed, still gazing up at the stars, while keeping my eye on the road at the same time. "Me too." I could feel his smile burning my back, and I couldn't help but have a grin arrive on my face. He could make any girl smile with just one flash of his teeth. He was that powerful and he didn't even know it._

"_So me and my mom were going through some old records while Joe and Kevin were at the supermarket with Frankie, and we came across this song, and it reminded me of you," he said, his pace quickening as mine did. Inside, my heart melted._

__

"Now what song was it?" I asked, my smile lighting up my voice.. "'Barbie Girl'?" I joked. He chuckled softly and shook his head.

"Nah," he said. "It was 'My Girl'." He looked at me, gauging my reaction. I made a face that read; "Not bad." I had always liked that song. But I couldn't help but wonder what reminded him so much of me with this song. I glanced at him for a second, finding my palms suddenly sweaty, which made gripping the handlebars extremely difficult. Was it the way he was looking at me, or was it because I was flattered? The boy was making my heart jump. In ways I didn't think were possible.

He rubbed the back of his neck, and let out a nervous laugh. "I know it sounds pretty cheesy, but whatever, I thought of you because, well... I know we're just buddies and all, but, sometimes I just think of you as my girl. Hence, the song." He let out a deep breath. Was he keeping that from me? I smiled for about the fifth time. He sure knew how to make a girl feel special. Giving up on my biking, especially since my legs were getting weak, I chose to walk beside my bike, strolling it along side me. Nick stayed on his side.

"I... I don't know what to say," I said. What was a girl suppose to say to that?

_"Please say you don't think I'm some... you know, weirdo." He avoided my eyes. I chuckled softly and then shook my head._

"_No, no, I think you're amazing, and sweet," I admitted. I meant it. He was extremely special to me, and vice versa. I stopped walking for a second, and put my bike on it's brakes. Nick stopped on instant, and eyed me suspiciously. I walked over to his side of the bike. I hesitated briefly before leaning in and giving him a quick peck on the lips. I felt my heart rate speed up as his cheeks flushed. He was so adorable. I ruffled his curls, and winked._

__

"I love you, you know that?" I told him.

"Yeah, but I love you more," he retorted, throwing an arm over my shoulder. I continued to lug my bike as he sang sweetly into my ear.

"Miley, Miley, Miley... talkin' 'bout Miley..." I grinned all the way.

I sighed. There went another reminder of how great we _used _to be. The couple on the bike was already gone, and the kids who'd once been playing in the clear, bright street were now in their backyards, their laughter echoing throughout the neighborhood. I eyed my mailbox and realized that the tab was up. Probably just more bills for my mom to pay.... I got my mopy ass off the steps, and opened the mailbox. That was strange. Only one bill? But when I took the envelope out of the box, it wasn't a plain, white one. In fact, it was sea foam green. My favorite color. Ever. I eyed it with suspicion, it had fancy script written on it. It was for me.

I didn't bother reading it, I ripped open the envelope, and out came a small, white letter, the same script written exactly on it in big, bold letters:

_**Miley,**_

_**Think you can do me a huge favor and come to a party at my house tomorrow? It's kind of a welcome home one. But you're welcome, too. I know... it would be kind of awkward, but I won't be partying. I'd rather be upstairs with you, talking. Just talking. I miss it.**_

_**Your next door neighbor.**_

I almost held the paper to my chest. But I didn't. I looked over at Nick's porch. Empty. I exhaled and closed the mailbox. I ran my hands through my hair and scratched the back of my head. Oh Lord, Nick was rubbing off on me.

**A/N: **I have so much ideas for chapter seven, but I can't use them all... I have to choose one. It's going to be hard as a MF. ;) ANYWAY, please review. I wouldn't want to be doing this for nothing, heehee.


	7. Wrong Invitation

"**You Said You Loved Me"  
**- A Niley fic, chapter seven, "Wrong Invitation"

My eyes slowly opened as the sound of faint, loud music played. I could feel my floors vibrating, and my bed rattling. Whoever was having a party sure went all out. But just then, I remembered. It was Nick's "Welcome Home" party. I shot out of bed and looked out my window. It was dark out. It was night already? How long had I been asleep? I slipped on my plain black flip flops, and slowly walked to my front door, located in the kitchen. I looked around my house, in search of my mom, but she wasn't there. The TV in the living room was on MTV, and my Yorkies seemed to be sleeping.

"Mom?" I yelled, waiting for a response. Nothing. "Mom, are you hear?" I then noticed a yellow post-it note on the counter, and I went over and picked it up. The letters were hard to make out. She'd probably written them in a rush.

_**Have to work double shifts again. Didn't want to wake you. I'll be back before you know it. **_I sighed and re-stuck the note back on the counter, as my fingers tapped it slowly. Great. She had to work extra hard for another night. And the whole, "back before you know it" part? Please. With the stress and evilness of her boss, she probably wouldn't be back until noon the next day. Not to mention that her job at the G Hotel was about three hours away. I took a deep breath, as my mind went back to the music playing next door. Someone was having fun. Nick had invited me... he invited me to a party that was supposed to welcome him and his family only. Curiousity swept my mind as I stepped out my front door. His house had decoration all over it, there were teenagers outside his house chatting, dancing, some were even kissing.

More people came up to the house and rang the doorbell. I saw Kevin open it, and greet them, nodding at the girls and fist bumping the guys. Something told me their parents weren't home. I was tempted to go over there, but my heart was telling me that wasn't such a good idea. _Might as well get it over with. Maybe if you show your face, you can leave afterwards._ I sighed, and slowly walked over. I did look kind of party ready. I was wearing dark jeans and a light blue tank top. Of course, my black bra straps were showing, but, that was the style. The flip flops of course didn't match, but no one seemed to be matching here. More people were ahead of me, so I let them go first. I caught the eye of a dark haired girl, who was eying me deeply. I took my attention off of her, and it was finally my turn to ring the door bell. I hestitated before pressing the small, pale button.

The door opened, and there was Kevin. "Miley? What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice excited and astonished. I was guessing Nick didn't tell him about the invite.

"Uhm—"

"Doesn't matter," he cut me off, pulling me into a tight hug. I saw a couple of people looking at us weirdly but I hugged back anyway. He pulled back, and stepped aside, making room for me to come in.

"Thanks," I said, slowly entering. _Wow. _This place looked huge. I had never knew it was as big as it was. Everything was set up perfectly. No one would have thought they'd just moved in. Huge "Welcome" posters covered the ceilings, and stairways. I had to bite down on my mouth from opening my mouth in awe. I was so unfocused of where I was walking, that I bumped straight into someone. "Sorry," I said, not bothering to look at the person.

"Miley?" the person as, the voice heavily familiar. I turned to look at the person I'd bumped into, and my heart froze.

"Nick," I said, not sure how or what to say.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed together. I mocked his expression, confused. The music started playing even louder, and we both winced, covering our ears slightly.

"Didn't you invite me here?" I yelled over the music.

"No," he said, his voice low. "But... I'm glad you're—" I turned the opposite direction, shuffling my way through the crowd. I couldn't believe this. So he hadn't invited me. I felt extremely ignorant. Ignorant. I wanted to slap myself repeatedly. I knew I shouldn't have come. "Miley, wait!" I heard him scream over the music and the loud talking. But I was already on the other side of the house. I walked over to an area where hardly no one was, and placed my hand on the wall, breathing in and out. Suddenly, a hand fell on mine and I jumped up in surprise. I looked beside me, and found Joe staring down at me, a small smile rising on his lips.

"Joe, you scared me," I breathed out.

"Sorry," he mumbled, still smiling. "I'm so glad you came." Suddenly, realization came around, and smacked me right in the face. Joe had sent me that invite?

"You invited me here?" I asked him. His smile faltered a little, and his face became concerned.

"Is that... wrong?" he asked. I couldn't help but feel my heart being tore, again. It wasn't Nick who wanted me here, it was Joe. _Nice one, Miley. You just made an even bigger fool of yourself. _I looked down.

"No, that was nice of you. At least someone cares," I muttered.

"You need to talk to someone, don't you?" I looked up at him, surprised at his acusation.

"What?" I asked.

"I know that Nick hurt you. I know that you'll feel extremely better if you talk it out... I'm here," he said, offering. My heart warmed a little. Joe was actually willing to listen to my problems. He was nineteen. He could have been doing so much other things. Like enjoying his party with his brothers and friends. But instead, here he was, talking to me. Boring, pathetic old me.

"Thanks, but... I should be going home," I said, giving him a small, thankful smile. As soon as I turned, I felt his hand grab my wrist, and I slowly turned back around.

"Well, we can just catch up on old times... come on, Miley. I really miss talking to you," he said, his voice desperate. I knew he'd gone through a break up recently. He sure looked like he needed a conversation. I nodded, and he took it as an okay and pulled me aside. He then led me upstairs, his hand never departing from my wrist. Once we made it to the upstairs hallway, the music wasn't as loud, and no one was up there. He opened the door, which I assumed was his room, and we sat down on his bed, mere inches apart.

"So how have you been?" he asked me, his face serious.

"Good," I lied.

"Seriously."

I sighed. "I've had better days."

"Nick really damaged you, huh?"

"Pretty much. But, I'm sure I'll... get over him," I said, not even recognizing my own voice.

"I hope so," Joe said, his voice low. "He wasn't good for you... I mean... at first, maybe he seemed like a good guy, but—"

"He _is _a good guy," I corrected, cutting him off. Joe — as well as I, was surprised at the blunt stand-up for Nick. But what did Joe know? When me and Nick were dating, it was love. The kind of love that'd make you want to jump in the pool in December. Joe had been in love once. I'm sure he wouldn't be so judgemental if I had said Taylor wasn't a great person. But I decided to keep my thoughts to myself.

"Miley—"

"No, I knew I should have left. If you're just going to try to get me to... think of Nick as a bad guy, good luck," I said, getting off his bed, headed for the door. I turned the knob, only to find it locked. I fumbled with the lock, but it didn't work. "Let me out." I heard Joe rise off the bed.

"He left you for some other girl, and you still think he's a good person?" I turned and glared at Joe, who was glaring back. "I don't see how you can forgive someone like that."

"I never said I forgave him, Joe. Quit jumping to conclusions," I yelled, my voice cracking. No. No. No. _You're not breaking me down, Joe._

"Well you're sure quick to defend him! The person who _broke _your heart," he said, looking at me in disappointment. My heart stung, and I felt the strong tears well up in the back of my eyes. I scoffed, and placed my back on the door.

"What are you trying to do, Joe?" I asked. "You're trying to hurt me even more, aren't you?" My voice was breaking, and salty liquid was running down my cheeks. Oh yeah, I was definitely crying. So much for not letting him get to me. His once angry demeanor changed once he saw that I was obviously hurt. He slowly walked up to me, and tried to touch me, but I pushed him away.

"Congratulations!" I yelled so loud that he winced. "It worked."

"Miley, I'm sorry—"

"Have fun at your little party," I whimpered, opening the door, slamming it behind me, and racing down the stairs, out the door without as much as a look at anyone. _Welcome home. _

**A/N: **Didn't expect it to be Joe who sent her the invitation, did ya? Haha. Please review.


	8. Falling Over Me

**A/N: **Pssst, guys, go review my SMITCHIE fic! I'm guessing Joe is just trying to look out for Miley. He cares for her a lot - don't ask why. Isn't he being kind of a good friend? ;) Review, please.  
**  
"You Said You Loved Me"  
**- A Niley fic, chapter eight ; "Falling Over Me"

_Raindrops collided with the hard, faded gray pavement. Thunder rippled through the dark, stormy clouds, and lightning overtook the night. I now had both arms crossed over my chest, in a hugging like manner. My not-so-rainproof jean jacket was soaked as well as my hair, which had once been in a messy bun. My lucky old blue jeans were slightly wet, and I stood in my backyard, waiting for Nick to arrive. What did he have to tell me? What was so important that he couldn't say over the phone? I now found myself shivering, as I heard the clinging noise of my gate, indicating that someone was coming through. My heart froze in anticipation, but quickly healed once I heard a soothing, familiar voice._

"Miley?" the voice called. A figure walked closer, and closer until they were in the backyard about six feet away from me. I instantly recognized the soft, untouchable curls that were now soaking wet, little raindroplets falling from them, making it hang a little. Once he stepped into the little light that the storm was giving off, I smiled unassuringly. He eyed me awkwardly before letting out a breath. "So you got my message." I nodded and walked over to him, leaning in and giving him a peck on the lips. He froze.

"Something's wrong," I concluded, my eyes sweeping over his. "What?" He was hiding something. I noted pain behind his soft, chocolate eyes. Vulnerability. Sure, Nick was always the good, sensitive type, but this was much more. He looked as if he might break down any moment. He looked like he was ready to let some huge devestation off his chest. When he finally looked me in the eyes, he was as serious and still as a statue.

"Miley..." he sighed, his eyes dropping back to the ground. The rain was coming down harder. I could feel the weak, fragile chopsticks that were keeping my hair up losing their support.­­­ "We need... to talk." Oh no, the four words of break up. He was dumping me. He was, wasn't he? There was nothing else to talk about. Nothing else serious, anyway.

"About what?" I could feel my throat tightning up.

"Us," he said, his eyes lingering. "I honestly don't know how to say this without... without hurting you." Unwanted tears were already making their way down my already rain-kissed cheeks. I felt my face redden. Not of embarrassment. Not of anger. But of already knowing that pain was on it's way.

"Then don't say it," I insisted, already shaking my head. "If you don't want me to get hurt, then... don't say it." I whispered that last part. I was already losing my voice and he hadn't even gotten his "confession" out yet. The word "confession" made me nervous. Nick opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He was looking at me with longing and pain. I knew what was coming my way.

"I have to," he said to himself. "I need to say it... for your sake."

"You're breaking up with me, aren't you?" I asked, looking at the ground. A bolt of lightning flashed, and I winced, moving as close to the house as possible. I turned my back to Nick, and I could feel his bare hands through my jacket. "Just... why?"

"Miley, I never said I was breaking up with you." I turned around to face him, my tear flow stopping.

"So then what's going to hurt me?"

"Look, Miley...I'm.... I'm in love with someone else," he said, he kept his head down quickly, afraid of my expression. My heart didn't beat for a good five seconds. He was in love with someone else. .Else. Someone who wasn't me. I finally found the strength to swallow, and I then felt the pressure of his hands gripping mines. I was in so much shock that I couldn't even move. I just stared at him. I stared at him for a long period of silence until he finally broke it. "Please say something."

"What do you want me to say, Nick?" I asked, looking at him incredulously. "That I'm happy for you? Well fine. I'm extremely happy-go-lucky that you've got yourself a brand new lover." I threw my hands up, releasing them from his grasp, and crossed them. At that point, the storm didn't even matter. He cheated. He had to have cheated if he was in love with some other girl.

"Miles, it's not like that, I swear," he said, his voice high.

"Right," I said, not convinced.

"I didn't want to do this," he explained. "I didn't want you to think I was blowing you off or cheating... I haven't."

"Just get out of here," I said, my voice shaky. "Just leave." Thunder struck, and I closed my eyes, letting the salty tears fall again. I couldn't look at him, I couldn't talk to him... he had to go.

"Miley -"

"I said leave!" I shouted, my voice cracking. By the obvious anger in my eyes, he seemed to have gotten the clue. He turned on his heel without another word, and walked off, the thunder not seeming to bother him at all. I swallowed and suddenly, I felt the cold, cool metal of something on my chest. I reached my hand up, and felt what it was. I gripped it, and brought it to my eye level.

It was Nick's dogtag. My lower lip trembled as I found the strength to pull it off. He'd given it to me to always remember him, and what we would always have. Forever. And at that point, I didn't want to even know his name.

He was dead to me.

**A/N: **I wasn't going to leave it here so short, but I wanted you guys to see the breakup. More drama will follow in the next three chapters! Review? And don't forget to check out my SMITCHIE fic! REVIEW.


	9. I Can See This Unraveling

**A/N: **Sorry that I haven't updated as fast as I usually do. It's not that I was busy, I just had a tiny case of writers' block for this story. So I hope this chapter makes up for it. Again, I have no clue what's gonna happen in this chapter. (I write the authors' notes before I write the chapter, lol.) The first part of the chapter's in Nick's POV, okay? So don't get confused. ;P When you see the seperation line, that's when you know it's Miley's POV. Please review!  


* * *

**"You Said You Loved Me"  
**- A Niley fic, chapter nine, "I Can See This Unraveling"

Hands trembling, bottom lip quivering, I somehow found the courage to ring her doorbell. What was she going to say? Would she accuse me of cheating? Would she slap, punch, or do some other type of painful psyhical contact just to show me how much she despised me? I blew out a deep breath, figuring it wouldn't matter after the long run. No matter how she reacted, good or bad, I knew that it would all be worth it.

_My _girl was worth it.

When I heard the door creak open, and once I was welcomed by a warm, inviting smile, I couldn't help but scratch the back of my neck. Force of habit. When my eyes met hers, the giddiness of her face, as well as her welcoming smile, faded. Instead, her face was disguised in concern. She took my hand and led me into her living room. I looked around, uncomfortable, thinking her parents or younger, annoying little sister was home. But they weren't. She plopped down on her couch, and I slowly took a seat next to her, feeling uneasy.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice too innocent and heart wrenching. "You don't look... happy."

_Was I ever in this relationship? _I shook my head at my disloyal thought. "Julianna..."

"You're saying my name... slowly. That's not good," she pointed out, nervously tucking a sheen black strand of hair behind her reddened ears. She pursed her lips together, and forced herself to look in my eyes. I could tell that she was feeling just as I was; uncomfortable. Her legs were crossed, causally bouncing up and down, her hands seemed unsteady, and her eyes kept adverting.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my own concern etching my tone. I lifted my hand to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes, but she clasped her fingers on my wrist, stopping me.

"I'm fine," she said. "Just... why are you here?"

I sighed, and put my hands between my knees. "This... this is hard for me to say."

"Well then can I say it for you?" she asked, her voice frigid. "You're dumping me. You don't want me anymore. I was just some rebound for your ex, and now that I'm boring you, you came here to tell me that it's over. Right?"

"Now just wait a second," I snapped, feeling the blood rush to my neck, blotches spotting everywhere. "You are _not _a rebound. I was in love with you, Julianna, I swear."

"But you're not anymore."

"I'm sorry... I just... I need to clear my head. Maybe we just need to take a break until I can sort everything in my head out. Is that so hard to understand?" I really didn't want to so this to her. She was beatiful, and sweet... and I didn't deserve that. I'd hurt one girl, and I wasn't planning on doing it again. And if that meant not dating for a while, then so be it. I had to take a breather. I needed to just get away from it all.

"Take a break?" Julianna said, her voice raising, as well as her body. She got off the couch and walked over to the television, resting her fragile arms on it, her back turned to me. She slouched over, her hands digging though her dark hair. "This is just perfect."

"I told you this isn't easy!" I yelled, getting up and walking up to her. "But it's what I have to do. I thought you'd understand."

"You must have me mistaken for Miley Stewart," she spat. My heart stopped, restarted, stopped, then restarted again.

"_What?_" How in the hell did she know who Miley was.

"Don't you 'what?' me. I know all about her. Not only are you bad at keeping secrets, but so is your brother," she said. She turned to me, her eyes rimmed in red, her face tear-stained.

"You don't know anything about her," I said, gritting my teeth.

"I know that she's the one you dated for years. I know she's the one who you're still in love with, and I know that _I'm _the one you left her for. So tell me, how don't I know anything about her?" she snarled, rolling her eyes, and shoving past me.

"And what does you knowing about her have to do with anything?" I asked, feeling regret, not wanting her to answer that.

"It just proves that you're an idiot, Nick. If you were so in love with her, you wouldn't have left her." I was seeing red. Who was this person? This girl who I supposedly "loved." She wasn't sweet or innocent. She was full of surprises. I had only left Miley because I was _scared _of falling in love with her. Love was always something that came easy to me. A different kind of love. Like I loved my family. Especially my brothers. But that was the only loved I'd ever known. But then Miley came along... and I felt a new type of love. A romantic kind. She was my first love. And despite how much I loved it, I never wanted to be in love. And I never wanted anyone to be in love with me.

In my eyes, being in love only brought pain. Sure, first you're all lovey dovey and things are great. But then, when everything's going perfect, something or someone else comes along, and the love gets screwed up. And someone always ends up hurt. Just like my relationship with Miley. I was so scared of being in love with her, that I didn't want her to get hurt... but I hurt her anyway by _lying _to her and myself, saying I was in love with a monster.

"Look. Stay away from me, my family and most importantly, Miley," I warned her.

"You don't have to tell me twice," she blurted, soaking up her tears with the sleeve of her shirt, not seeming to care about the stains of her eyeliner ruining it. She stormed out of the room. The fading of her footsteps echoed in my ears, and I took that as my cue to leave. I stuffed my hands inside my pocket, and exited the house. I slammed the door and pressed my back to it.

One down, one to go. I hopped in my car, and stormed off, headed for my next door neighbor's house.

**

* * *

  
**  
The doorbell rang, and I bolted upright, slipping off my couch, and slipping on my fuzzy red slippers. I ran to my counter, and snatched the fifteen bucks off of it.

"Finally, pizza's here," I said, almost tasting the melted cheese. I practically raced to my door, and toyed with the lock. Once unlocked, I opened the door, and the guy who stood before me was definitely _not _delivering my pizza. It was Nick. Instead of repeated how much money I owed him, he said:

"I love you."

And then, busting inside, he cornered me into a wall, and if it wasn't obvious, he kissed me.  


* * *

**A/N: **THE END! Just kidding. But that's the end of the chapter. ;) You know what to do.


	10. Actions Speak Louder Than Words

**A/N: **Bahaha. Cliffhangers these days. This is all Miley's POV. Review!

**"You Said You Loved Me"  
**- A Niley fic, chapter ten, "Actions Speak Louder Than Words"

It only took my brain about half a second to process what was going on. All I remembered was opening the door, anticipating that there'd be pizza waiting for me, and the next thing I knew, I was pressed against my kitchen wall, and lips were clashed against mine. On instinct, I freed my hands from Nick's grasp and pushed him off, hard enough for his back to hit my kitchen counter top. His face was flushed, as well as mine. We didn't speak for a moment. He cleared his throat, and looked down.

"What the hell?" I said, letting my hands hit my thighs.

"I did it," he whispered, his eyes stuck on the floor. His face expression looked shocked, happy, and worried at the same time. My eyebrows furrowed and I kept the confused look on my face. "I did it," he repeated, looking up at me.

"You did what?"

"Ended it. I ended my relationship with Julianna. I did it," his eyes went back to the floor. He looked overwhelmed. Like he just accomplished his life long goal. My heart was rattling, shaking, jumping. _Wait, what did he just say? Did he say he actually _dumped _his girlfriend? _I didn't know whether I wanted to jump up and down from relief, or scream. Here came the toying with the emotions. Again.

**Before I fall,  
Too fast,  
Kiss me quick,  
But make it last.  
So I can see how badly this will hurt me when you say goodbye.**

"Why... why?" I asked, my eyes scanning everything. I didn't know what to say. He had broken up with his girlfriend. But why? He suddenly looked at me with such a intense, understanding care, and I felt my heart slam into my chest. He didn't. Did he? By the look on his face, I knew why he had did it. Rather _who _he'd done it for. Me. Nick dumped his girlfriend for _me?_ I couldn't speak.

"Miley," he breathed, inching closer and closer to me. I wanted to move. I wanted to push him away. I wanted to yell at him. But I couldn't. I stood there. Mouth agape, eyes slightly widened. I found myself blinking repeatedly. "Say something," he pleaded. His eyes never leaving mine. I suddenly looked up at him, and of all things, I slapped him. Right across the mouth. Hard enough for him to wince in pain, and hold the corner of his mouth with his hand.

**Keep it sweet,  
Keep it slow,  
Let the future pass, and don't let go.  
But tonight I could fall too soon into this beautiful, moonlight.**

"I can't believe you!" I yelled, placing my hand across my forehead, pacing up and down. "You left your girlfriend... for _me_? I'm sorry to hear that, Nick. But guess what? _We _are done. We were over the day you _left _me for another girl. A girl who you claimed to be in..." I got choked up. I could feel the tears welling in the back of my eyes. No. He wasn't going to break me again. Not again. Not ever. No one hurts Miley Stewart more than once. _No one. _

"Miley, you don't understand," he said, putting up his hands in defense. "I never loved her."

I scoffed, and looked at him like he had five heads. "Liar."

"I'm serious!" His voice echoed through my house. I could hear the disturbed barking of my Yorkies. But that didn't matter. What mattered was that Nick just told me he'd left me for a girl... who he actually _didn't _love. Smooth.

"Well I guess you never loved me, either," I heard myself say. His face twisted into something weird. Something non sweet. Something that totally wasn't Nick. Who was this person? Did he hate me? Did he dislike me that much that he had to come in my house and tell me how much he didn't love me or his ex? This wasn't the Nick I knew.

"That is not true," he said through his teeth. "I _do _love you, Miley. You need to listen to me."

"Why should I? So I can take you back and let you win? I don't think so. I'm not your plaything anymore, Nicholas." He seemed just as surprised as me. I never said his full first name. Ever. But I had to get my point across.

"The only reason I ever left you was because I was afraid of falling for you. But it was too late, anyways. I'd already broken the promise I had made to myself... I didn't want to, but I had to let you go Miley, please understand it," he said, his eyes pleading. I held back my tears. _Not breaking. Not breaking!_

**But you're so hypnotizing,  
You've got me laughing while I sing,  
You've got me smiling in my sleep.  
And I can see this unraveling, your love is where I'm falling,  
But please don't catch me.**

"If you were so afraid of falling in love with me, then why did you even lead me on?" I said, tears staining my face. My voice broke. Cracked. Shattered. I was broken, cracked, and shattered. He'd done it once again. He broke me. And my heart was already on overdrive. Tears were flowing freely, and I could tell by the hurt in his eyes that he wanted to slowly brush them away. But I knew he wouldn't. He wouldn't want to see me break down in his arms.

"Because," he started, "I couldn't help it. You're beautiful, and funny, and sweet, and amazing to be around. I couldn't help but fall in love with you. And I still am. Can't you see that? I've never ever poured my heart out to any other girl, Miley. I've never told any other girl I loved her with _true _meaning like I did with you, Miley. I swear."

I didn't know what to say. And the fact that I was choked up didn't help.

"You... you confuse me," was all I could muster. "Do you know how much pain you've caused me? How much _stress_?"

Silence.

"Do you?!" I repeated, my eyes flooding.

"Yes," he said. When he looked up, his eyes were red. His cheeks were flushed and tear stained. Suddenly, I felt the urge to wrap my arms around him, and just tell him, "I forgive you." But... it wasn't so easy. I had to be mad. I _had _to make him suffer. Just like I had.

**See this heart won't settle down.  
Like a child running, scared from a clown.  
I'm terrified of what you do.  
My stomach screams just when I look at you.**

He needed to scream, shout, cry, break down, blurt, cuss, scratch, claw, and bite. He needed to hurt everyone in his family, he needed to become a completely different Nick. A more depressed, sad Nick. He couldn't be happy because I never was. He needed to switch emotions with me. He needed to feel how badly he broke my heart, and how badly he broke his own. I couldn't, no matter how much I didn't want to, let him get away with the pain he caused me.

But then I remembered. His words: _"I love you."_ They kept replaying, rewinding, and replaying again.

_Oh, gosh, Nick. Why do you do this to me?_

**Run far away so I can breathe.  
Even though you're far from suffocating me.  
I can't set my hopes too high 'cause every hello ends with a goodbye.**

But here he was, in front of me, his eyes drowning in tears. Was he already feeling hurt?

"Nick... why did you really come here?"

He looked up. "To obviously make a fool of myself. I wasn't expecting you to take me back, I was just hoping that you would listen to what I had to say, is all. I needed you to know that I care for you. And I'm madly in love with you. I made the biggest and most awful mistake leaving you." He sniffed. "I wish I could take it back, I really do. But I know that's impossible. And it's not like I can just erase the pain I've caused you."

I looked down. "Right..."

"But I haven't been happy lately. The night I left you I stayed up all night, thinking about what I did. I wanted to take it back, but... I was afraid of calling you. Afraid that I'd say something incredibly stupid. And plus, you hated me," he clarified, sighing.

"I never hated you. If I hated you, did you think you'd still be here, talking to me? The whole reason I'm so choked up about this is because I still love you, Nick... but maybe..."

"No," he said.

"What?"

"Don't say we're not going to work. Just don't say anything."

**But you're so hypnotizing,  
You've got me laughing while I sing,  
You've got me smiling in my sleep.  
And I can see this unraveling,  
Your love is where I'm falling.  
But please don't catch me.**

**So now you see why I'm scared.  
I can't open up my heart without a care.  
But here I go.  
It's what I feel.**

**And for the first time in my life I know it's real...**

Emotions rattled. Again. "Leave," I said. "Leave me alone, Nick. _Please_."

He sniffed and wiped his nose, blinking, letting the last of his tears fall. My heart ached. This wasn't supposed to be happening. This was not how I planned my life. I was supposed to fall in love with a Prince, and live happily ever after. Nick was my Prince Charming. He was supposed to sweep me off my feet, and love me forever. But due to the current scene in my kitchen, I didn't know what he was. Or what I was.

Suddenly, I didn't feel like Miley Stewart anymore. I felt like my mom. Overworked, depressed, and vulnerable. I wanted all the pain to go away. I needed it to. It was like a never ending stomach ache. That just wouldn't go away, until it was cured.

And _he _was my medicine.

**But you're so hypnotizing,  
You've got me laughing while I sing,**

**You've got me smiling in my sleep.  
And I can see this unraveling,  
Your love is where I'm falling.**

**So please don't catch me.**

**If this is love, please don't break me.**

"Fine," came his reply. "If you don't ever want to see me again... I understand."

And as quick as he came, he was gone.

I felt my knees give up on me, forcing me to sink down to my cold, hard kicthen floor. I let my back hit the fridge and I held my breath.

_What just happened?_

**I'm giving up, so just... catch me.**

**A/N: **AHH! I think this was the best chapter yet. PLEASE review. :)


	11. You've Got A Face For A Smile

**A/N: **So stoked that you guys liked the last chapter. :) Please review this one!

**"You Said You Loved Me"  
**- A Niley fic, chapter eleven, "You've Got A Face For A Smile"

* * *

My vision blurred, and suddenly, everything around me stilled. Time stood still, and so did I. My eyes glued to my closed room door. I brought my knees closer to my chest, letting my chin rest in between them. Slowly I felt my eyes flood. The tears ran down ever so carefully. Like they were afraid. I didn't bother to blink, which made my eyes sting. More tears poured down. Three days had passed. I hadn't left my room once. I kept the door locked, and I shut everyone out. Lilly, Oliver, my dogs, my own mother. I wouldn't speak, eat, or sleep. I was in a never ending trance.

I didn't dare close my eyes. Because if I did, I knew all I'd see was him. His eyes, his hair, his lips, his chest. I'd hear his voice, his songs, his cries. Ugh! I straighted out, and grabbed a throw-pillow from behind me, stuffing my face in it. I threw my head back, and gazed up at my wall. This wasn't supposed to be happening. _Why _was this happening? I didn't want to have to deal with any of this. I just wanted it all to be over. I wanted a time machine. Something that would erase me and Nick's past, and just let us start over.

And when we'd start over, we'd be strictly friends. _Yeah, right. _How could the thought of "just being friends" even run through my mind? I slipped off of my never ending bed and limped over to my dresser. I didn't bother to look in the mirror. I didn't bother to even breathe. Instead, my eyes found their way around the familiar, silver, authentic dog tag on my dresser. The beaded chain was popped, (from the time when I threw it at him) and there were small dents in the corners of the tag.

But nothing was different. It was the same exact dog tag he'd given me when we had dated, the same one he refused to take when I had shoved it in his face, the same dog tag that still had his fresh scent _glued to it. _No matter where he was, I felt him. If he was all the way in Hong Kong, I'd still feel his presence. He was just that strong. And just that real. He had some overwhelming power over me that I couldn't quite understand. I was smitten. Stuck on him. I swallowed and sucked in a breath, my fingers tracing the edges of the silver metal. The sound of a slamming door quickly caught my attention, and I walked over to my window, pulling up the shades.

To the right, I saw an angry Joe, pacing quickly, heading to the family car. He practically tore the door off, and furiously slammed the door shut once he was inside the vehicle. He drove off like some lousy drunk driver, not seeming to give a damn about the speed limits and such. Then I looked to the left at the house. And them my heart went on overdrive. I saw Nick, through his window. He was sitting at his desk, a laptop in front of him. His hands were digging though his scalp, messing up his hair. He didn't seem to care. His eyes were unfocused, he was looking at his laptop screen one second, and the next, he was looking down at his hands.

I swallowed in guilt.

Then I took it back.

_You're not guilty, Miley. He did this to himself. _His eyes were directly staring out his window now. My heart did a complete restart. I silently begged him in my head not to look my way. Our houses weren't that far distance. He stared at one of the small green tree bushes on the ground, and then, his eyes flickered to mines. I immediately stiffened. What was I supposed to do? Look away? Surprisingly, I kept looking. And so did he. I could already feel red blotches threatening to spill all over my face. I felt the urge to turn around, and never look back. But I just stared.

Not only was he my neighbor, but his bedroom window was right across from mines. Was this fate? Was God meaning to torture me like this? I sighed silently, and then looked away. I did a quick glance back, and I saw him, still gazing.

_In...one, two, three...  
Out... one, two, three... Breathe Miley._

I slowly plopped down in my own computer chair. Figuring I had absolutely nothing to do. It was summer, and I had no hobbies. At all. I flipped open my laptop and went to the start menu. As soon as I proceeded in connecting to the internet, I got an alert. My eyes scanned the message:

**1 New E-mail.**

My heart, chest, head, hands, legs; everything throbbed. My hands shook so frigidly, I was positive that I'd click something else by mistake. I slowly, and carefully clicked on the alert, and my e-mail inbox popped up.

I had one new message, from **NJ92.** Otherwise known as Nick. I was pretty sure my heart was going to explode. Too many thoughts were running through my head. Maybe it was a chain letter. Maybe it was some type of spam, or junk mail. This e-mail probably wasn't even writen by him. Whatever it said, I was pretty curious to read it. I double-clicked on the e-mail. No subject. Great.

**To: SmileyMiley.  
From: NJ92.  
Subject: **...

**Message:  
**_Smile._

I blinked. I don't know why, but that word caused something to light up inside me. Yeah, it was a simple "smile," but, for some reason, I felt something behind it. It did kind of make sense, though. I surely wasn't smiling when I was looking at him. I was dying inside. I didn't even know why I opened the stupid e-mail. I was tempted to go look out my window again, just to see if he was waiting for me. But as soon as I got up, I heard the alert noise again. I quickly sat back down, and opened the newest e-mail.

**To: SmileyMiley.  
From: NJ92.  
Subject: **I wasn't done yet.

**Message:  
_Because you're even more beautiful when you do._**

I shot out of my chair, and slowly pulled back my blinds, in search of him. But once I looked through the clear glass, he was gone.

* * *

**A/N: **It was kind of short. Sorry. I don't know if I'd call this a filler chapter, but I thought it was pretty okay. Sorry for the cheesy e-mail stuff. I just wanted to do something a little cute. :) Please review!


	12. Flooded With All This Pain

"**You Said You Loved Me"  
**- A Niley fic, chapter twelve, "Flooded With All This Pain"

* * *

_"Smile," Nick said, nudging my elbow softly. I didn't budge. "Come on, you've been like a statue all day."_

__

Nick and I sat on his porch steps, both in two way different moods. He seemed oddly happy, and I was anything but. I folded my arms over my chest and refused to look at him. I stared up at the bright moon, the only light shining on us. I usually never felt comfortable being outside at night. But having Nick there eased my tension. I heard him clear his throat, and I rolled my eyes. He nudged me again.

"What?!" I yelled, turning to him, snapping right in his face. He winced at first, and put up his hands in defense.

"What's your problem?" He asked, concern etching his tone.

"You know what," I said, glaring at him. I blew out a deep breath and gazed back up at the sky.

"Look... I know you're not happy about me moving, but... I have to," he explained, his once cheery tone gone. I slowly turned to look at him, eyebrows furrowed, my mouth in a pout. Before I knew it, I charged up, and walked to the far side of his front lawn, tightening my grip on my chest.

_"I can't believe you're leaving me." I heard myself say. I could hear the smooth movement of the grass, indicating that he was now behind me. I didn't bother looking. "After all we've been through... you're... leaving." I could feel him trying to turn me around, but I flinched away.  
_

"_Miley... this isn't my fault. You know I would never leave you intentionally," he tried to reason, obvious sadness in his tone. I held back the tears that were threatening to spill over. I couldn't believe I was getting emotional... over something I couldn't control. But when I felt the warmth of his hands on my arms, slowly turned me around, I was smitten. I was drowning. I kept my head down._

__

"What?" I said, my flip flops fondling the grass bristles.

"Hey," Nick said, lifting my chin up so that my eyes met his. I tried to avoid it, but his intense stare rattled me. I finally gave in and looked him in the eyes. "You know I'd never leave you purposely... right?"

Of course I knew that. He was my.... I didn't know what he was to me. A friend? A best friend? A best, best friend? A lover... my life....

"I guess," I said, my voice low. "But... I can't function without you. You know that."

Nick looked at me strangely. "No, you can't function without blood. You can live without me."

What? "Don't say that," I said, my voice coming out in a harsh whisper. With all that we'd been through, all the times he'd been there for me, all the times I needed a shoulder to cry on, he was there. He was my savior. He was all I had. And if I couldn't live without blood, then I couldn't live without him either. "Don't ever say that." I blinked, and could feel the damp wetness staining my left cheek. Nick looked ashamed and gently thumbed my tears away.

"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes searching mines. "I'm sorry..."

Grass tumbled, the trees rocked back and forth. It was starting to feel more and more like summer each day. I took the time to stand out on my front lawn and just try to enjoy the beauty of California. But no matter how much I stared at the sky, or the trees, or the grass, or even the sun, my eyes would unwillingly look over at the next house, and my mouth would frown slightly. The Nick's word ran through my mind; _smile. _Impossible. I hadn't smiled a day ever since the breakup. I hadn't even laughed for an actual funny reason.

I bent down and retrieved the morning paper, as usual, lagging while walking. I held up the paper to my view point until I was able to read the small font. One Ad caught my eye. _**Relationship Counsler.**_ I swallowed and wondered... maybe if I went to this "counsler," then I could somehow... get over all of it? Another impossible thought. No person, professional therapist or not, was going to make me get over anything. No less, anyone... but my eyes found the number, and I felt frantic enough to call.

_You can just go to check it out... your mom doesn't have to know, _one side of my conscience told me. The other side said, _think about it. You're in love with Nick. This "therapist" is just going to bring even more stress on you. _I sighed... _don't knock it till you've tried it._ A door slowly creaked open, and I instantly turned my head to the scene. Joe was stepping out of his house, not noticing me. I blew out a deep breath and turned around, entering my own house. I quietly tore out the Ad and stuffed it into my back pocket, walking into the kitchen, throwing the newspaper on the table.

"Miley, you want anything before I go to work?" Mom asked, cutting off the stove, the smell of burnt eggs clogging my nose.

"Uh, no thanks. I'm just gonna go upstairs and read..." I said, shuffling out of the room before she could mutter another word.

**

* * *

**

**Having relationship issues?**

**Can't get over that special somebody, or you just want to find out some way to TALK to that somebody?**

**Call now and make an appointment!**

I gripped my cell phone tightly in my hand, debating on whether I should or shouldn't call this counsler... my conscience once again came into my head, telling me it was right, and then telling me it would only hurt me... I decided to suck it up. I _wanted _to be over Nick. The only way to get rid of the pain was to get over him. Or so I thought.

I dialed the number and then held the phone to my ears, shaking all the while. One ring, and it was already picked up.

"LA Counsling, name please?"

"Um... I'm Miley Stewart. Can I make an appointment?" I asked, feeling awkward.

"Sure," the lady said in a nice, cheery, fake tone. "Which counsler would you like to make an appointment to see?"

I was stuck. I knew no counslers.

"The... relationship counsler?" I asked, not so sure. There was a brief pause, and then the lady spoke again.

"Dr. Doyle..." She said, pausing again. Probably writing down info. "Okay, well when do you think you can be available?" She asked. I tapped my foot on the edge of my bed, and looked up at my ceiling fan.

"Is tomorrow okay?" I asked, tightening my grip on the phone.

"Perfect. Mrs. Doyle's always here, so if you ever need to make an appointment, she'll be here. Except for the weekends _and _Holidays," the receptionist explained. I nodded and cleared my throat. "So... you're appointment will be around 9AM. Sound good, or too early?"

_Early? _It was perfect. Mom would be at work, and... well, I'd be free. Anything to get out of the ratty old house. I just hoped it wasn't one of those group counslings. I wouldn't be caught dead sharing my issues with others... not that it was bad or anything, but... it was no one else's business. Except me and... well, the counsler.

"Sounds good."

"Great! I hope to check you in tomorrow morning then," she said. I could tell she was smiling.

**

* * *

**

**A/N: **I was going to add the counsling part, but I'll save that for the next chapter. This was kind of a filler, and there was no Nick. :( But, you did get some of him in that flashback at the beginning of the chapter, so, yeah. I hope you enjoyed it. Review!


	13. Take A Look At Me Now

"**You Said You Loved Me"  
**- A Niley fic, chapter thirteen, "Take A Look At Me Now"  


* * *

I ended up _not _going to LA Counsling. No, because I was too afraid to open up to anybody. Especially some random "doctor" who I'd never even knew or heard of. I hadn't even mentioned my ex to my own mother. Instead, I sat on my couch, radio on, listening to sad, romantic songs. That didn't help either. I wanted so badly to go over to the next house. I wanted to talk to Nick. I wanted him to see that I was okay. I wanted him to see that I was just fine. But that wasn't the case, was it? I sighed, and brought my knees to my chest, hanging my head down in shame.

_Smile. _I couldn't remember the last time I had cracked a smile or even laughed. And if I did, it was only for the sake of my Mom not asking me what was wrong or, why I was so down lately. I had to put on a show. I had to wear a mask for her. I had to act normally just to satisfy her. It made me sick. And it only kept my heart piled, and piled with fatigue and sorrow. I didn't want sympathy. I didn't know what I wanted.

What if I went to Nick's house, just to talk and sort everything out? Would he talk to me? Would he be happy to see me? Or would he be busy, already targeting some other girl? My heart ached just thinking about it. Somewhere, deep down... I still cared about him. But it seemed like there was some hourglass -- some clock that kept reminding me that I was running out of time. That I was wasting precious moments where me and him could be... one again. But did I want to go down that dark road again? Did I want him to still be my light? My friend? My closest friend? He seemed so desperate, so pleading when he had came over. He'd poured his heart out to me, and all I'd done was... shun him. I took him out of my eyes, and thought of him as some demon. Some Monster.

But I couldn't feel bad for him. I couldn't feel symathetic for him. Even if he'd told me how sorry he was, even if he explained how he was terrified of falling in love... he still chose to do the worst thing he could do to me, or anyone. He lied, he left me, probably cheated previously. It hurt to know that the person who I was madly in love with had fell for some other girl. _"I've never told any other girl I loved her with true meaning like I did with you, Miley. I swear."_ His words ran through my head. They stung, and my head burned. There he was again. The words he spoke ringing in my ears like some annoying fire alarm. _True meaning, _he _swore. _He never swore. Ever. Maybe he did mean it.

"No, he didn't mean it," I told myself, shaking his thoughts out of my head. "If he did, he wouldn't have left you. Remember that." I clasped my forehead with my hand as I felt the tears start to form. Nothing was going right. I was torn between his previous actions and his current. He left me, but he told me he loved me. I didn't understand why he couldn't make up his mind.

"Just talk to him," I whispered. "Just go over there and listen to what he says instead of yelling at him. Just listen..."

**

* * *

**

_Knock or ring the doorbell? Knock or ring the doorbell?_

"Ugh," I groaned. Why was I being so immature? I lifted my fist, ready to knock, when suddenly the door swung open. And there he was. His perfect curls looked extra dark, like he'd dyed them or something. His soft brown eyes still had the same rich spark in them. His skin was obviously flawless, and his expression was without a doubt surprised. Why wouldn't he be? I was standing in his doorstep.

"Miley. What are you doing here?" he breathed, his breaths coming short.

_Don't stutter. _I put my hands in the back pockets of my jean shorts and did my best to look him in the eye. "I know... last time we spoke face to face it didn't go... you know. So I just was wondering if we could just talk it over?" I suggested, my face full of hope. He opened the door wider, and stepped aside, making room for me to enter him home. Without another word, I walked inside, and breathed the clean, new house scent. This hadn't been the first or second time I'd been in this house exactly, but it was my second being in this house with him.

He walked ahead of me, plopping down on his navy blue couch, an extra spot waiting for me. I hesitantly sat down, keeping my distance of course.

"So..." he said, looking down, waiting for me to speak.

"Last time... I did a little more of the talking," I began, crossing my legs. "I just wanted to hear what you had to say."

He looked geniunely confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"It's been a long time, and I was jumping to conclusions, making statements, and saying stuff that I don't think I meant," I explained, playing with my fingertips.

"Well I meant everything I said," he told me, looking me right in the eye. "But I guess I shouldn't of barged in your house and kissed you like that. It wasn't cool." I looked down, blushing slightly. Sure, it was a sudden and completely unexpecting smooch, but aside from that, I didn't mind.

"Yeah," I said, tracing the rug's patter with the tip of my flip flop. "But I just wanted to start over. I know, I shouldn't be forgiving you. But it seems like that's the only way either of us will be happy." I couldn't believe I hadn't broke a sweat, a tear, a nothing. Maybe it was meant to be.

"You shouldn't forgive me." Nick's eyes were wary. "I— I broke your heart. It's going to take a while to heal and forgiveness? I don't think that'll work, Miles." I almost smiled at him calling me "Miles" again. If he didn't want forgiveness, what did he want?

"You don't want to be forgiven?" I asked, confused. "I thought that's what you wanted."

He inhaled deeply and ran a hand through his delicate curls. "I was thinking about it. Ever since that encounter we had. I don't deserve it."

I looked back up into his eyes. I found myself moving closer, and closer. "But — what if I want to give it to you? What if _I _think you deserve it?" He had to still want it. No matter what he thought, he still knew that he wanted me to forgive him. He wanted this pain to be over as much as I did.

He looked like he was about to smile. "You believe that I deserve it?" he asked, one eyebrow cocked. His own doubt made me think. "See? Even you know I don't. Just forget it, Miley. Remember? I have to feel your pain. I have to suffer just as much — and just as bad — as you did."

I did remember that. In the moment, I had wanted so badly for him to feel hurt. I wanted him to be awake at night, with me in his thoughts. I wanted his heart to ache so badly that it exploded. I wanted him to hate me, just like I _wanted _to hate him. I wanted him to be so in love with me, that he couldn't stand it. That he couldn't bare it. He had to feel shredded. But that was before. That was when I was a whole bundle of emotions. When I was stark raving mad. Pissed, ticked off — whatever you want to call it.

I didn't know what to say so I just said, "Right."

"So what are we going to do?" he asked, his hand slipping into mine. His palm was so warm, so inviting. I didn't want to let go. He held it softly, and all I wanted him to do was grip it. Grip it so tightly that it'd be impossible for me to break. I had a feeling I wasn't going to. "About us, I mean."

I shrugged. "What do you want to do?"

"Start over. Take it all back, if I could," he sighed. He lifted his free hand, and moved a strand of my hair out my eyes. I looked down shyly, a small smile rising for the first time in forever.

"You finally took my advice," he said, bringing my face to his.

"What advice?" I asked.

"You smiled."

Holy crap. I did.  


* * *

**A/N: **Review!


	14. Got Me On My Knees

"**You Said You Loved Me"  
**- A Niley fic, chapter fourteen, "Got Me On My Knees"

* * *

"I missed you."

Me and Nick were sitting on my front porch, talking and catching up. It was almost like old times. I started to feel the tension break and a new feeling of comfort over came me. All the previous drama had sifted away, and it finally felt like there was some form of peace here. I couldn't help but smile at Nick's last sentence. He had missed me. He really _missed _me.

"I missed you, too," I replied, fondling my hands. It was extremely hard to not play with my hands or look away from him whenever we were this close. He was so intoxicating, and it made my heart flutter over a million times. I could feel his eyes on me, and I slowly turned my head, my eyes met his. My heart bursted with a whole new feeling of butterflies. This was the feeling I'd first gotten when I'd met him...

_My eyes wandered back in forth at the kids playing in the sunlight swinging on swings, climbing, sliding, chasing each other. I felt so relaxed. It was just me, and my guitar. I always felt comfortable testing my acoustics in the park. Everything was so peaceful, it was almost like a fairytale. In fact, this was the happiest I'd ever been. Suddenly, I heard voices of guys heading near me. My heart skipped a nervous beat. I was always nervous around guys. Whether they were my age, younger, or older. I tried to look unaffected, as one of them passed, and accidently dropped my book full of my most private lyrics._

__

I put my black silvertone acoustic guitar aside on the bench next to me, and bent down to pick it up. The guy was faster. The guys he was hanging with already left him, not even seeming to notice his absence. He picked up my book, and extended it out to me. Our eyes locked for a second, and my already fast heart rate seemed to have skyrocketed. I'd seen this guy before, I was positive. We stared at each other for so long, that I forgot all about my notebook. It was until he seemed to snap out of his gaze, and cleared his throat, snapping me back to reality. I took the book from him with shaking hands.

"Thanks," I said, looking down at it, avoiding his eyes. I slowly looked back up and saw that he was smiling.

"No problem," came his reply. I had to force myself to blink. He was so mesmerizing. He had the darkest, most softest looking curls I'd ever seen. I had never actually met someone who actually had naturally curly hair. Well, a guy anyway. He had even softer dark brown eyes that could light up even the sun which was shining down completely on us. Suddenly, I felt a raindrop fall on my cheek. We both seemed to look up at the sky at the same time. The kids were whining, but all I could hear was the annoying thumping of my overwhelmed heart. I quickly slipped my guitar case over my guitar and got up. He backed up a little, giving me space. I could see that he wanted to say something. And so did I. But what was I supposed to say? 'Hey, I'm Miley and I think you're totally hot. Mind making out on this bench?' Yeah, right. Only a complete fool would say that.

"Um, I'm Miley," I said, offering my hand. He slowly slid his hand into mine. His palm was unbelievably warm. My hand was bitterly cold. He didn't seem to notice. He didn't say anything for a while. He just smiled, and gazed into my eyes. My stomach flipped. Was I really that great of a sight? I felt my cheeks rise with rushed blood. I was completely red. He seemed to notice this, and he chuckled.

"Anybody ever tell you that you're really pretty?" he asked, still shaking my hand. I looked down, and smiled. Did my Mom and Daddy count? Na.

"Not that I can remember," I said, unsure. Our hands were still locked.

_"Good," he said. My heart stopped at his remark. Did he just say _good?

__

"Uh..."

"Because you're beautiful," he finished. Suddenly, his eyes widened at his own words. I saw blush creeping up the sides of his neck. How adorable. I couldn't help but smile. If I was red before, I must've looked like a damn chilli pepper now. Before I could even thank him...

"Hey Nick! What are you doing? We have to go!" A guy with short, dark hair yelled. Both boys looked alike in resemblence. All three of them had to have been brothers. My heart sank. He had to go. He turned to me, looking disappointed. Well, it was nice knowing him... for 10 minutes. I smiled assuringly. I adored his name: Nick. Maybe I could write a song about him. Before I knew what was happening, he was gone, and the once sunny, warm weathered park was now damp and wet. The skies were cloudy, and rain was pouring. Oh great, a storm was coming.

As I turned to pick up my guitar, I realized I had something in my hand. I opened my sweaty palm and in it held Nick's dogtag.

My heart suddenly felt ached, and my back was getting restless. I suddenly, stood up, my once happy mood gone. I felt Nick's eyes on me, and he looked up at me with a mixture of concern and confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked. _So many things. _

I stared blankly at the busy streets. "My Mom's gonna be home soon. You should leave," I warned him, pulling my hair into a simple pony. I closed up my vest, and adjusted my shorts. I took off my flip flops, and stepped on the grass, airing my sweaty feet out. I always got sweaty when memories like that came rushing back. He'd given me that dogtag of his the first time he'd met me. A total stranger. A stranger that he'd possibly never see again. But ever since I had that dogtag, I had _never _forgotten him. I hadn't seen him for months after that. And one day I had recognized the curls... and that's when I found him. When he found me.

I had worn that dogtag every day. And if I didn't wear it, I kept it on me. Whether it was my pockets, my socks, my dresser...

"Yeah, you're right," I heard Nick say. I turned around, and saw a tinge of disappointment in his eyes. Identical to the one the day he had to leave in the park. I was about fourteen then. Being seventeen... maybe it was time for us to mature.

And maybe go our seperate ways.

* * *

**A/N: **So sorry for how long I haven't been updating. I just had writers block. Back on track. :) I'm not sure how this story is going to end. And I'd really appreciate if you guys would give me some great ideas for upcoming chapters. Please and thank you. Feedback is appreciated also!


	15. I Don't Wanna Cry

"**You Said You Loved Me"  
**- A Niley fic, chapter fifteen, "I Don't Wanna Cry"

* * *

Summer was officially over, and I soon found myself on the dirty, loudly crowded school bus with Lilly right beside me. I was quiet for the most of the ride, and all she'd done was run her mouth about how great her family trip had been. I wasn't even paying attention. It was a shame that she hadn't asked me how my summer was, or the fact that I had my heart stomped on again and again by a certain curly-haired hottie.

"So did I tell you about the hot _German_ exchange student that I met?" Lilly rambled excitedly. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah. About forty times," I muttered. I began to rub my temples silently.

"Are you okay? You haven't said much," she observed. _No, really? Maybe it's because you can't shut your mouth for more than half of a second. _"Miley," she said, poking me. I slowly rolled my eyes and looked over at her.

"What?" I asked, emotionless.

"You PMSing?" she joked, playing with her newly highlighted blonde hair. She'd really outdone herself with the colors. "You're usually excited about school."

"Please," I scoffed. "This is our last year, and I'm just sad, I guess." Well, that was partly true. Just turning seventeen meant I was a senior and Seaview High. Now I didn't have to worry about being punked, or looked down on, or being constantly rejected by... nevermind. Anyway, over the summer I became a new person. Sure, Nick had made me overly overwhelmed with happiness while we were together. But once we split up... it was like the real me just vanished and was replaced by some mopy, dark minded teenage girl with nothing but her ex on the brain.

"Look on the bright side," Lilly began. "We'll be dating _Senior boys._" My heart swelled. Nick was a Senior now, too. Lilly saw me freeze at her comment and she suddenly looked worried. "Ahem! I said we'll be dating Sen--"

"I heard what you said," I cut her off. I stretched my foot out, and let my head hit the seat. The bus pulled to a hault, and students began rushing out. How could anyone be so excited about school? I sighed, got up, and speed walked off the bus. The sun hit my eyes, and I used my hand to shield it. I could hear Lilly calling me, but I ignored her. My eyes roamed all over the huge block of students. I didn't spot one curly haired Senior. Realization then hit me that I didn't need to be looking for him. We had to seperate one day, and that day was... today.

"Hey, what's your problem?" Lilly breathed, catching up with me. I made it to the front of the school and practically ripped the door handle off in pure frustration. She could be so nagging sometimes. I shook my head, and paused once I got in the school. Nick was standing by a row of lockers. He was leaning on one in particular; the locker that used to be mine. He was crowded by his friends. They were all talking, and he didn't seem to be listening. He slung his backpack over his shoulder, and just stood there. Like soome Goddess who looked down on everyone. Suddenly, our eyes met, and instantly, I looked away.

"Come on, Lilly. Let's get to class," I said. But when I turned around, she wasn't there. I sighed, feeling my stomach doing flips repeatedly. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, breathed, and then walked to my new locker. I sighed, and unlocked it, not caring whether anyone saw my foul mood or not. It didn't feel right... having him at the school. Nick was my neighbor... my school mate... the love of my life. And now, he'd only be my aquaintance. The guy who I'd say hi to once in a while. He wouldn't be the one that I'd go to for help, and he wouldn't be the guy with the softest shoulder for me to cry on. _Not anymore. _

Suddenly, the bell rang. Time for the first class of the worst year in High School ever.

Lunch was even worse.

I grabbed my tray full of sweets and sat down ruefully with Lilly and Oliver. They were discussing what they did over the summer. Lilly was still bragging about her huge family road trip, and Oliver was talking about how his mother had been sleep walking the other night. I was beginning to think they were ruining their reputations. As well as mine. I rolled my eyes at them, and picked at my chocolate pudding. The cafeteria doors opened, and my eyes were embraced with Nick. He was wearing the plaid shirt I'd bought him for his birthday. And those favorite old levis and converse of his. My throat caught. He was doing this on purpose, wasn't he?

Suddenly, I saw a girl walking behind him. I almost choked on my own spit. They both sat down at an empty table not too far away from where I was sitting. My eyes were glued to them. The girl looked to be a Senior, too. She had pretty brown hair, and a very slim figure. She wore converse and jeans as well. It was like they were a matching pair of socks. I almost gagged. I watched as the girl put a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling at him. Nick smiled as he talked to her. Soon, I was seeing red. I heard nothing. The whole cafeteria seemed to turn mute. All I heard was the beating of my heart, and the steam coming from my ears.

He was smiling at a girl. Who wasn't me. They had no trays. I saw the girl retrieve a cell phone from her pocket, and hand it to him. Nick passed her his cell, and in an instant I realized what they were doing. _Exchanging numbers? _My self-esteem got lower, and lower. My eyes became watery, and I looked down, not wanting to see him having fun with someone who wasn't me. It was then that I wished I was in her shoes. Making him smile. Talking. We'd never be able to do that again. A sudden slam on the table snapped me out of my daze. Lilly had just thrown her hat on the table, getting my undivided attention.

"What the hell?" I snapped, shoving her hat across the table. Oliver raised his eyebrows, and got up to dump out his tray.

"What is up with you? You've been acting weird all day," Lilly pointed out. _Well, excuse me for being hurt that my ex moved on so quickly._

"No, I haven't," I protested, throwing my spoon back in my pudding. "All _you've _done today was brag about your fucking road trip when I really don't think anyone gives a damn. Especially me." Lilly's face fell, and her eyes fell to the table. I'd just cussed at my best friend. God, what was wrong with me?

"Lilly..." I began.

"No. It's fine," she interrupted, getting up. Oliver was slowly walking back. "I have to go. Lilly barged out of the cafeteria.

"Where'd she go?" Oliver asked, sitting back across from me.

I sighed. "Probably someplace where she can hate me. Just like everyone else."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Nobody hates you," he insisted.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? No one loves me."

"Your family and friends do."

"Yeah, but what if that's not enough? What if I want to be loved by someone more... important?" I wondered, my eyes slowly peeking at Nick and that girl. He was laughing now. He hadn't looked up once. I looked back at Oliver.

"Who's more important than them?" Oliver asked, looking at me puzzled. My bottom lip trembled.

"No one," I lied, getting up, slinging my bag across my arm and slipping it up to my shoulder. "I'm going to get some fresh air."

Oliver perked up, grabbing his bag. "Can I come?" he asked.

"Alone," I mumbled, leaving the cafeteria. I looked at Nick once more. He just laughed harder.  


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**A/N: Hmm, who do you guys think the girl is? And don't worry, if you think it's you-know-who, she won't be a bitch. Trust me. Please review!**


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